Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Saying ·54 of 348
"Curiosity killed the cat."
They never said that.
What people say
"Curiosity killed the cat."
What was actually said
"Care killed the cat." Ben Jonson, Every Man in His Humour (1598)
Why it stuck
"Care" in Elizabethan English meant worry or sorrow. The shift to "curiosity" happens around 1898 in American newspapers — different warning, same rhythm.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.